1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch release operating apparatus that is operated to release a latch state of a door.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, some vehicles have a release actuator that is driven to release a latched state of a door, such as a trunk lid.
A latch release operating apparatus that has a switching unit for driving the release actuator is generally employed in such vehicles.
In one type of such latch release operating apparatus, an enclosure 3, arranged from a case 1 and a cover 2, is mounted onto a door outer panel P via a base member (mounting member) 4 in a manner such that an operating portion 2a protrudes outward from an opening 4a of the base member 4 as shown in FIG. 17. A switching unit 6 is disposed inside the enclosure 3, and the switching unit 6 is turned on when the operating portion 2a is depressed.
When an operator depresses the operating portion 2a thereby turning on the switching unit 6, the release actuator is driven and a door latch apparatus undergoes a release operation. Therefore, the operation can be performed in lesser operating force than in comparison with a conventional latch release operating apparatus that is arranged to release a door latch apparatus via a wire cable and a link rod.
However, such latch release operating apparatus requires adequate waterproofing measures. Presently, in conventional vehicles, the waterproofing is achieved by the following arrangement. That is, the cover 2 is formed from a resin material that has waterproofing and elastic properties, the opening 1a on the upper surface of the case 1 is covered by the cover 2, and the enclosure 3 is mounted onto the base member 4 while pressing the cover 2 against the base member 4 in a manner such that the operating portion 2a protrudes outward from the opening 4a of the base member 4. Rainwater, carwash water, and other water are thus prevented from entering inside the enclosure 3 from a front side.
Furthermore, a packing 7 is disposed between the base member 4 and the door outer panel P, and the packing 7 prevents water from entering into the inner side of the door outer panel P from between the door outer panel P and the base member 4. Water is thus prevented from entering inside the enclosure 3 from a back side.
Thus, with the latch release operating apparatus, water is prevented from entering inside the enclosure 3 from the front and back sides, and water is thus prevented from contacting an electrically conducting portion of a base plate 8 disposed inside the enclosure 3.
Recently, the standardization of latch release operating apparatuses and the mounting of such standardized latch release operating apparatuses onto various vehicles have been desired to reduce costs.
Desirably, such a latch release operating apparatus can be mounted onto various locations without causing a malfunction. That is, desirably, such a latch release operating device can be mounted, without causing a malfunction, even onto a vehicle, with which the packing 7 cannot be installed between the base member 4 and the door outer panel P.
However, when the conventional latch release operating apparatus is applied to a vehicle, with which the packing 7 cannot be installed between the base member 4 and the door outer panel P, water may enter inside the enclosure 3 from the back side and the water that has entered inside the enclosure 3 may contact the electrically conducting portion of the base plate 8 to cause a malfunction of the apparatus.
Though the enclosure 3 can be made to be a watertight structure to prevent the entry of water inside the enclosure 3 from the back side, this arrangement cannot be employed due to the following problem.
That is, when the enclosure is made a watertight structure, air cannot be released from the interior of the enclosure to the exterior of the enclosure and air cannot flow from the exterior of the enclosure into the interior of the enclosure. Thus, when the vehicle is moved from a specific locality to a colder locality, the air inside the enclosure contracts to cause the resistance against the depression of the operating portion 2a to become small and thus change the operational feeling. On the other hand, when the vehicle is moved from the specific locality to a warmer locality, because the air inside the enclosure expands, the resistance against the depression of the operating portion 2a increases and the operational feeling is thus changed.